“The sewage the city used to dump here — they stopped in the 1970s — means the grounds are very nutrient rich, and have all those bugs and crustaceans that water fowl need to eat,” Sauver noted. “It's not a good place for us to go swimming, but it's obviously a (draw) for the birds.”

The preserve, which sits on land still owned by the San Antonio Water System, is run by the non-profit national Audubon society. It offers educational tours to the public, although Sauver noted the place has been easier for birds to find than it has been for visitors at times.

“For a while, no one wanted to move near the location” because of the sewage, Sauver said. “So many times, I'll hear from people that they had no idea that this (preserve) was down here.”

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“We're fenced in, and it isn't the most welcoming location,” added Sauver, “But we are a perfect location for migratory water fowl. Unless they fly over the Gulf of Mexico, they have to stop here.”

Sauver, a self-titled “bird nerd,” explained that while the specific quirks of migratory habits remain some of the greatest mysteries of ornithology, areas such as Lake Mitchell remain a constant factor in Mother Nature's equation.

“Birds have everything from tiny magnetic fields and star-oriented navigational (instincts) to an innate ability to find the best place to rest,” Sauver said. “Because Central Texas is an area where most migratory birds have to fly (between South America and Canada), we have the best variety of birds here in Bexar County, at least.”

According to Sauver, visitors can see rarities such as the Scissor-Tail Fly Catcher — which eats exactly what you think it does — or berry-consuming birds such as the Cedar Waxwing.

Birds typically visit the center in waves over four points in the calendar year. April and May see birds traveling north from the tropics to New England or Canada, while September and October see birds heading south.

While Sauver maintains that his location couldn't be more perfect, the area isn't without its challenges.

“We're always worried about the potential for another major road (like U.S. 281) to split our area, or more general things like water shortages or global warming,” Sauver explained.

SAWS Senior VP Steve Clouse said that the Audubon center does a great job of carrying on his department's message of water conservation, despite the fact that the lake is largely comprised of non-potable water itself.

“Since the center is also an attraction that draws people not just from Texas but internationally, it's a great example of how recycled water can benefit a region,” Clause said.

For Sauver, the most rewarding international visitors remain the airborne ones.

“There are just so many, and some of them are so rarely seen,” he explained. “This place has a little bit of greatness to it.”

For information on tours and other educational programs, visit mitchelllake.audubon.org